Ehrlich good for a laugh

Aug 31, 2012 | 3:00 AM

I would like to first thank the editorial board of The Sun for electing to publish, week after week, the words of Robert L. Ehrlich, Jr. He is indeed a funny man, and no matter how desperate things become, Mr. Ehrlich has a way of breaking though to bring a smile to one's face. It was no different in his most recent column ("Nervous Obama takes refuge in his base," Aug. 26), where he once again spread the lies being promoted by the Republican Party. Thanks for the Sunday morning humor!

Some of Mr. Ehrlich's recent humor is his talk of the "war on women," which he readily blames on the Democrats and President Barack Obama, but in reality it has been the Republican-controlled House of Representatives that has lead that effort. Remember when the Republicans took ownership of that chamber? They claimed they'd be getting Americans back into jobs, but when Congress convened, their first priority involved a woman's right to determine her own medical needs. And since, there have been some 30-plus bills dealing with women's health including their right to contraceptives, abortion, and health screenings for cancer provided by Planned Parenthood, an organization that the Republicans will stop funding. So Mr. Ehrlich, kindly get your facts straight.

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The next funny from Mr. Ehrlich was his talk about African-Americans being put back into "chains." Now come on, Mr. Ehrlich, you know that is a Republican falsehood and that Vice President Joe Biden was, in fact, talking about your buddies on Wall Street. The same buds of yours that caused the destruction of America's economy. You need to listen, or read the man's speech and see how wrong you are about what you are stating as fact. You know it's a lie.

Now you briefly mention the work requirement for getting welfare assistance. Here again, you know — and I'm giving you some leeway by stating that you know — that the directive does not change the work requirement for obtaining assistance through welfare. That's another lie by you and your fellow Republicans.

As for same-sex marriage, why is this a referendum issue? In reality, this is a civil issue that has nothing to do with religious beliefs. We are, at least as of the last time I read the United States Constitution, a country of laws and not religion. Remember back in 1967 it was only after action by the U.S. Supreme Court and ultimately by the Congress that we permitted interracial marriage. Some of us fought for equal rights for African-Americans because we seen them as citizens of the United States. Religion had no part in our decision, even though back in the bible days, "mixed marriages" were forbidden. Same-sex marriage is a civil issue made legal, as all civil matters are, by a major of the state legislature and the signature of Maryland's governor.

Interracial marriage was never put to referendum. If we are going to put civil issues out for referendum, then we should repeal the 1967 law that permits interracial marriage and put that to state-wide referendum, too. I am sure that all of the African-American pastors and others voicing disapproval of same-sex marriage would agree and have no problem taking such action, even though we know that it would be voted down.